#this was a journey and a half to write happy holidays y'all | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

rosesmusicandaloeveraplants · 2 years

Text

christmas... cactus?

hbg christmas :D

posted on ao3, or read below

Feel free to check out the for eternity, time and time again masterpost!

Kayfour was curled up on their couch, spools of colored wool in their lap, their hands quickly crocheting a small plush. To their left was Draco, quickly finishing up a hat they knitted, sewing a small pom-pom they made on top. On the table over was Raddles, finishing her last painting, in bold strokes of purple, to be given as a gift. Fruit and Illumina shared the other couch, comparing their embroidery projects while taking care to not lose any needles. The gift making session was going fairly well, Kayfour mused, and they were glad that they semi-organized this.

Sure the snow was nice, providing a different highlight on the landscape, creating scenes that differ from the summer months. But that doesn't help with the fact that it was fucking freezing and how they'd rather just settle in their living room, where they had blankets and a fireplace, and could just invite others over to work on projects together. Either way, they're fairly cozy now, and were pretty happy with everyone sharing their current progress with each other, seeing art projects come to life.

---

Reign swam around a coral reef, peering closely at the school of fish swimming around.

He finally spotted the fish he was looking for: a pink and blue tropical fish, affectionately dubbed "the Fein Fish" by HBG. It bobbed around a fan coral, looking away from Reign.

Reign grabbed a bucket, and slowly, carefully swam towards the fish, and bucketed it, peering at the fish in the bucket (it was barely fazed by the change of scenery), before putting it in his pocket dimension. That was the last fish he needed for gifts, he mentally checked off, as he swam back to the coast, to his axolotl farm. Zy was waiting for him already, presumably already finding all the sweet berries the other insisted he needed to get. (Zylenox indeed, had a shulker filled with sweet berries, and Reign did not question how the other found them so quickly.)

Reign waved to Zy, before heading into the axolotl farm to grab one last thing before heading back to the HBG village: a blue axolotl, after weeks of waiting and thousands of axolotls hatched. He scooped up the axolotl in another bucket, took out a shulker box, filled with the buckets of fish and axolotls he was going to give, and placed the last two buckets inside.

He walked out of the farm, and traveled through the portal nearby with Zy, making their way back to HBG after hopping into a boat on the Nether Highway.

---

"Y'all are under mistletoe! Forehead or fight!" Fyroah called out, cupping his mouth to project his voice. Reign was laughing along with him.

Fein and Couri looked up. The mistletoe's bright colors mocked him. They had a choice: either a platonic forehead kiss, or they fight. Simple.

"So, mistletoe or mistlefoe Coru?" Fein asked cheekily.

Couri opened his wings. Fein gulped. Then Fein turned around and started running, but Couri tackled him (the damn wings giving the other a boost), and then a moment later Fein was stuck in a chokehold.

Well this was embarrassing.

Fein struggles a little bit, but soon gives up. There was no escaping the wrath of a short Couriway who currently has him in a chokehold.

"I forfeit," Fein wheezed, "I forfeit, let me go."

Couriway still hasn't Fein out of the chokehold. He can see the others gently laughing at him for getting into such a predicament.

Couri reached over and placed a platonic forehead kiss, before letting Fein out of the chokehold.

Fein grinned widely, and tackled Couri into a hug.

---

"What the fuck are we supposed to try to do?" Fyro asked.

Mustard looked back. "To be honest I barely have a clue."

"Well they told us to help decorate, except with the lights." Emerald stated. "Though that doesn't clear up much either."

Mustard paused and looked at the group. He had a brilliant idea.

"What if," Mustard paused for dramatic effect, "we made a snowdragon, but like a huge one."

"But what if it melts?" Silverr asked.

"... Any better ideas?"

Emerald took out a shulker box. It was filled with sand.

"Glass dragon. Can't Fyro smelt the sand anyways?"

"Absolutely." Fyro grinned, his flames glowing brightly with excitement.

"And we can just steal the shulker filled with dyes for a little bit to color the glass." Silverr added, nodding. "I'm gonna go do that now, if I remember correctly TapL has the shulker box today."

Silverr took off towards the direction of the communal forge and enchantment workstations, where TapL had said he would be, as the rest grabbed handfuls of sand, preparing to make the dragon.

They had roughly laid out lumps of sand for the dragon's legs, when Silverr returned. He took out a shulker from his pocket dimension and laid it out in front of him, rummaging through the sacks of powdered dyes, before grabbing the sacks holding black, gray, purple, red, and white dye.

Emerald came over and helped Silverr with the dye, sprinkling a pinch of the dye into the sand they had out, and mixing it with a shovel. Fyro came over and smelted the sand, molding the glass with his hands. Mustard quickly found and splashed a Fire Resistance potion on Emerald, Silverr, and himself, so they can also help out with molding the glass.

After a while, the dragon took form, standing ten blocks tall, wearing a cheery Christmas hat (also made of glass), guarding over the main plaza of the village.

The group stood back and admired their work, and then began to make their way to return the dye shulker box to TapL.

---

Punz was gently hammering out a ringlet of gold they were working on when they heard TapL whoop out in cheer, the last hum of magic from the enchantment table fading, as TapL slams the thin leather bound book he was working on shut. Punz looked up once they were satisfied with the shape, and looked at TapL.

"Last book that we need for our gifts, and once you're done with the metal art we can put the enchantments in!" He cheered, ink of different colors smeared on his left hand, golden light from channeling his magic fading. "And now, I just need to wait for Silverr to get back with the shulker of dyes."

"What'd you need the dyes for? You're done with creating the enchants so you don't need anymore colored ink right?" Punz asked, as they watched TapL walk out from the work area and unbound his wings. TapL stretched his arms and wings, detached from his back, golden with a light iridescent purple sheen, and probably way too large to fit comfortably nor to not knock anything over without being bound magically to TapL's back in the small workspace they were in.

"I'm experimenting with something new," TapL simply stated. "You know those new glowing squid thingies that someone found a while ago?"

"Yeah?"

"Their ink sacs are pretty interesting, if I say so myself."

Punz glanced briefly at the blast furnace's progress refining the gold ore they were waiting on. "What do you mean?"

"The ink glows in the dark," TapL explained. "I want to try to make some paints, ink, and maybe even thread or wool at some point, but for now I'll try making dye and ink. I think some of the artists would appreciate it as a gift."

"TapL that actually is so cool," Punz started. "I'm in awe."

"Thank you."

Silverr, Fyro, Emerald, and Mustard came in with the shulker that TapL was waiting for, handed off the shulker box, and quickly left to engage in more shenanigans.

Punz took out the last bit of refined gold from the blast furnace, and made the last of the gold ringlets they needed, as TapL took out a glass vial, a cyan ink sac (Punz assumed it was from one of the aforementioned squids), and one of the sacks of powdered dye.

Punz slowly worked the gold ringlets into a cohesive ring, as TapL dropped some of the ink into the glass vial, adding a pinch of powdered dye. TapL swirled the vial slowly, as Punz set the ring off to cool, the last bit of metal work for their big gift.

TapL set down the vial he was working on, and walked over to the anvil, surrounded by a stack of thin leather bound parchment books, and a pile of carefully made gold items.

Together, the two channeled their magic, fusing each book's blessings of protection, luck, and hopes of a better new year into each piece.

---

Tek sat outside, slowly fiddled with the settings on his helmet. He managed to set up a static image of a snowy forest to display on the front of the screen, but was struggling to get a slideshow of "festive photos" to cycle through properly. He sets the helmet down, as Switch, Reignex, and Dylan come up to him. This might not be good.

Reignex was the first to speak, with a smile that told Tek that he was up to no good.

"How's your helmet?"

"It is not going well, to be honest."

"You know what'd make it better?" Dylan replied, as Switch took out a disk.

Tek fucking hated that disk. It was a song that got looped at every jukebox, at all realms, it annoyed the shit out of everyone, but was still played for the sake of pissing people off.

"Fuck off man. I'm not playing that disk."

"But what if," Reign asked, "what if I said, that all I want for Christmas is you?"

"That's not going to work again, and don't fucking quote the lyrics at me."

"Well it sure did work yesterday, and the day before that," Dylan added, "and it sure is working for me."

"Come on man," Switch pleaded, "I don't want a lot for Christmas, but there is just one thing I need, which is for you to play this disc."

Tek looked like he wanted to scream.

Conveniently Feinberg came along a moment later, and asked Tek to help with the lights. After handing off his helmet to people that are (hopefully) more technologically competent than he is, Tek gladly followed Fein, Dylan in tow. Hopefully Reign and Switch manages to fix the problem with that helmet, and doesn't play tha-

He spoke too soon. Well there's nothing Tek can do about the two blasting that disc on loop at top volume now.

---

Fulham wouldn't say he was an excellent chef. But, Fulham would say he was glad that he was competent enough to avoid Eleventy's wrath. As he and Davie worked on a dish together, he resisted the urge to look back as he heard Eleventy yell, "Why is there slime here in the food?"

Pete probably wasn't lucky enough to avoid Eleventy's wrath this time.

A few minutes later, Fulham thought he smelled smoke. He checked and saw the others looking around in alarm. That wasn't a good sign.

Ninb looked up from the steak he was preparing. "What's on fire?"

"Can't be our stuff considering it's not on the stove yet." Davie replied.

Eleventy sighs deeply.

Pete put a hand over his heart in disbelief, "I, for once, was nowhere close to any source of fire."

"Everyone let's move out of the kitchen, and find some buckets of water," Eleventy stated tiredly, putting down the whisk he had in his hand before leaving the kitchen.

---

"To the left. No, a bit more."

"Dylan, why can't you just grab your elytra and help?" Draconix wailed.

"Well you guys need someone on the ground to see if it works don't you? Plus, Fein and Tek are already helping."

"Dylan. Dylan, you're not doing anything." Fein called down from the rooftop he was perched at, elytra tucked on his back. Draconix hovered in place a few blocks away from where Fein was, arms crossed in front of their chest.

"I'm helping!"

TapL and Couri flew down to where Dylan was, with their near twin-like pair of golden wings, having finished another roof. Tek, Zy, and Silverr soon glided down with their elytras and Illumina with his pairs of dragon wings, having finished more roofs as well. Fein and Draco finally finished the roof they were working on, and joined the group on the ground.

"Hopefully we've wired this correctly and nothing goes wrong," Tek stated, ready to complete the wiring for the stringed lights to glow.

A moment of silence (and people preparing either Fire Resistance potions or their buckets of water), and then cheering, as nothing blew up once the circuit was complete.

They cheered each other on for a job well done, and left on their way, promising not to be late for the last part of decorating the Christmas tree.

---

"What the fuck did you just do?" Fein turned back to glare at Reign.

"What do you mean, 'What the fuck did I just do?', you were the one to set it on fire bitch! You literally, came back, and managed to fuck up Tek's shit."

"Why don't you have a water bucket on you?"

"I used them all for gifts and shit, why don't you have a water bucket on you?"

Fein continued to glare at Reign (because let's be honest, he didn't have a good answer to that), before looking back at the flaming mess on the ground. "Well, what the fuck are we supposed to do now?"

"I'm gonna get some help putting the fire out, good luck guys." Switch stated, before leaving.

Tek walked back, and saw the scene in front of him.

"I literally, I literally went to help with the lights. Fein went to help with the lights with me. How the fuck did he set this on fire already?" Tek groaned. "Now I have to go grab my backup helmet."

They hear Eleventy, exhaustedly ask, "What are you doing?"

"Hey Elevent-"

"This is why I don't let you help with cooking at all, Feinberg."

Reignex was trying (and failing) to not laugh out loud.

Eleventy facepalmed, "I had to evacuate the kitchen for this. Okay everyone, let's go back."

"Hey aren't you going to help put out the fire?" Tek asked.

"Oh, right." Eleventy walked over, taking out a bucket of water and dumping it on the fire. The helmet looks charred and absolutely unusable. Fulham came over with a second bucket of water and dumped it on top of the helmet for good measure.

"Well hopefully this is the only case of arson today," Switch stated wistfully, coming back with a bucket of water and a few vials of Fire Resistance potions he had brewed earlier, and whisking the bucket into his pocket dimension.

---

Well the tree was mostly decorated, thanks to Smallant, Hary, Marcus, and Geo, and all that is left is the special ornaments, one handcrafted by each HBG member to symbolize themselves.

Well, they were going to put up such ornaments, that was until Raddles (while chasing several of the cats that followed Illumina to the plaza today) knocked down the tree, Illumina nearly being a victim of the tree falling on him.

Something went wrong with the stringed lights, because less than a moment after Illumina gets out from under the fallen tree, it catches on fire.

"Don't look at me," Fyro started, "I was nowhere close to the tree this time."

"... That actually might be my fault this time." Marcus started. "Oops."

Fulham and Switch grabbed their buckets of water and put out the fire. Just like Tek's helmet from earlier, it was burnt to a crisp.

"Well thankfully no one's put any of the ornaments or gifts near the tree," Smallant began. "But what do we do now?"

"Why are we all looking at me?" Geo asked, a bad feeling forming about what the others could be asking.

---

After much convincing (and making the people with a history of accidentally causing arson to be extremely careful), Geo had lended one of his larger cacti to stand in for the Christmas tree. Christmas cactus? Whatever, one of those.

Switch and Draco doused the cactus in enough Fire Resistance potions to last for a month, before Geo was satisfied and stepped away from the cacti (by a little).

Without incident, the cactus was decorated yet again, and HBG all stood around the cactus.

"I feel like, I feel like something's missing ya know," Nerdi started, "Something's missing from this. I don't know what's missing, but something's missing."

Hary grabbed a pair of sunglasses from his pocket, and placed it on the cactus.

Catching his eye, Fruit took out a sign, and Illumina scribbled "11ty" onto the sign. Fruit placed it a block below the sunglasses.

"It looks exactly like Eleventy!" Fruit cheered.

"Ha, ha, very funny guys."

After laughing at how they could just decorate Eleventy for next year (plus several indignant complaints from the cactus man himself), Couri herded everyone to do a group photo, in case "something happens to the cactus".

So everyone crammed themselves to be included in the frame, Illumina riding on Fruit's shoulders, TapL, Couri, and Draco using their wings to hover in the back as several others grabbed their elytras to do the same. Tek peeked up from the bottom of the frame with an older helmet of his, having to fine tune the expression shown on the screen with knobs on the side. Reign tried to vault himself up Fein's back, as Pete supported himself on Kayfour's shoulders.

Everyone grinned largely as the photo was being taken, cheered and dispersed to a large table they'd set up once the photo was done.

The gift exchange began, as fish, paintings, jewelry, paints, hand made cards, and much more were exchanged, each other's love shown in the artfully crafted and selected gifts. Hugs were exchanged, and joy was in the air, as dinner was taken out.

Before everyone dug in, Illumina grabbed everyone's attention.

"B-before we start digging in, I just wanna say," Illumina paused. "Uhhh, I am so grateful for everyone here, and uh. Frick."

Couri and Nerdi just stood up, told Illumina they got this.

"A toast, for everyone here,"

"For friends of new and old,"

"For whatever the new year brings,"

"For the past we've shared,"

"Together,"

"We can face it all,"

"HBG on top!" The two concluded in unison, and everyone yelled it out as well, knowing that with this family, they've got each other's back, with this family, they've found home.

#house builder gang #hbg #i tried writing guys <3 #this was a journey and a half to write happy holidays y'all

26 notes · View notes

jlf23tumble · 4 years

Text

My 1D-related fic faves of 2019

I've read a TON of great fic this year in all kinds of fandoms, Jeeeeeeeeeesus, there are so many talented writers out there, but I won't list it all here (or even list everything I bookmarked this year). Instead, I'm gonna stick with 1D-related works released in 2019 that pulled me in hard and made me stare at the wall and/or read again and/or scream about with other people, and I'll try to do it in cutesie number order because WHY NOT make it that extra level of arbitrary, lmao. I love fanfic because no matter what fandom I'm dipping in, something new is gonna jump up and kill me (this year in particular, I've subscribed to a lot of "new to me" writers that I LOVE, and I hope you know who you are [do you know who you are, etc.]). Thank you for the free gifts, for your time, for your blood, sweat, and tears! I owe you hugs, coffee, and my undying love, gratitude, and support! I'll put my list under the cut to avoid some v. v. real screen scroll rage--happy new year, y'all!

2 lactation kink fics

(aka the Jaerie category, nobody else is out there writing this even as Harry's tits get bigger and milkier and why am I the only one fully appreciating all of it?????)

I Think You're Already Home, by jaerie, Seeing Louis Tomlinson today, it would be hard to guess that he was ever once a member of the world's most famous boyband. These days he doesn't even the leave his own house. The truth is he can't leave his own house. (a December gift to remember for all of us! a/b/o dynamics, famous Louis, omega Harry--which is practically canon at this point--crippling agoraphobia, lactation-related sexiness, I would read at least ten (10) more chapters of this)

freaks from the internet, by jaerie. Harry sells his breast milk to freaks on the internet. Louis turns out to be one of those freaks. He also happens to be Harry's ex. (I legit can't believe this came out this year, I rec it all the time! it was anon for forever, and I was low-key obsessed because I just wanted mawrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr of it, and I got it, thank CHRIST)

3 fics for meeeeeeee

(These works were gifts to me, and I am so truly hashtag blessed to receive!!!)

I Just Wanna Taste It, by @homosociallyyours. In his mind it's watermelon and sticky strawberry sweet, and he craves the feeling of his own round, firm belly warm under his hands on a summer evening. (Megan loves to kill me with Harry mpreg imaginings, and this one feels like canon to me!)

Powerless (and I Don't Care It's Obvious), by objectlesson/ @alienfuckeronmain. He should not be getting turned on by Harry’s full-bladder discomfort, his little twitches, his hips-stuttering. And yet. (AND YET!!! I don't even know where to start with how much I love Phoenix, what a treasure her work is in ANY fandom, how shitty this particular fandom has been to her, how much I'm gonna miss harry/louis fic gifts from her in the future, how HOT this pee kink fic is in general, dot dot dot)

Tuxedo Classic Dance Party, by Blake/ @newleafover. Instead of flying out to meet his touring boyfriend in Madrid, Louis sticks around to be responsible and do things like dance at Lady Gaga night at the gay cowboy club in West Hollywood. (Blake has written at least five fics in various fandoms that I would say are my favorite fics of all time, but they really topped themselves with this one!)

4 fic series

(I feel like there are probably loads more that qualify, but these ones grabbed me in their own particular way)

Not That Gone, by abrighteryellow/ @a-brighter-yellow. Louis’s 20-year high school reunion takes a turn when a celebrity classmate – who also happens to be Louis’s long unrequited crush – unexpectedly shows up. (this was inspired by Chris Evans, and both parts stand on their own, tbh)

Maybe I Miss You, by 13ways. Louis is on his way back to London after the Hits Live Birmingham concert. Harry is flying to New York for the Met Gala. They connect. (from the very first story in this series, I was HOOKED, canon angst that builds up to something truly wonderful)

There's something I want to try..., by TheMagicWord. Harry wants to try something. Louis's not convinced. Until he is. (the installments are super short, super hot)

One More Time Again, by orphan_account. On the morning of his second sold-out performance at Madison Square Garden, Harry wakes up to find that he's sixteen years old, on The X Factor, and that he has a chance to make things right. (I'm sad that this author orphaned, but I seem to recall her getting a TON of shit, which is unfortunate because this is a great read, and part two is an imagining where Louis goes back instead)

5 fics featuring holidays

(These ones are basically from Christmas and Halloween of this year, so quite recent!!)

once bitten and twice shy, by @pinkcords. In a rush of bravery only senior year can bring, Harry confesses his feelings in a letter to his neighbor and best friend, Louis, only for the entire school to hear it and laugh him out of their small town in Wisconsin. (the notes on this one blew me away: first-time author, pinch-hitting for a fest, and damn, a knock out)

you've set my soul to dreaming, by we_are_the_same. Thirty-year-old Harry Styles goes to bed single on Christmas Eve, only to wake up on Christmas morning with a husband in his bed and a son down the hall. (I'm not always into this trope, but when it's done well? NICE, and this one did it well)

when half spent was the night, by @juliusschmidt. I’ve skimmed your website and am interested in hiring you to be my doula. I’m 7 ½ months pregnant and not keen to do this whole labor and birth thing alone. After looking around, I thought you might be a good fit. (girl direction advent fic with pregnant Louis that’s incredibly well done, especially given how short it is, I was so sad to see it end, but the author says something about act II coming??? YES!!!)

Fictober 2019 Collection, by flowercrownfemme/ @lesbianiconharrystyles. Features lots of monsters and creatures and Harry Styles being a general nightmare as well as a few Girl Direction drabbles and a timestamp for Fool For You and one for Treat Mothman With Kindness. (Chloe's Halloween drabbles, each of which could outrival other stories 4x the length...she's a GIFT)

Cat & Mouse, by jaerie. It's the one day out of the year that Harry doesn't have to hide and can be himself — at least he thought so. Louis is just a little more observant than he anticipated. (I'm not a big hybrid fic fan, BUT GOD THIS STORY IS SO GOOD, it's so short I wanna cry, but so good!!!)

6 a/b/o fics

(I can handle "traditional" a/b/o if it gives me my dose of omega Harry, but I absolutely adore "untraditional" a/b/o, you know, where it actually is NOT about straight dynamics being put on a m/m or f/f couple (excuse me, a/a or o/o)...these ones NAIL IT, as did the entire gaybo ficfest)

violence of my own touch, by 14hrflight/ @silverfoxlouis. Louis hasn’t said anything, but Harry knows something is wrong. Harry’s rut had ended a few days ago, and Louis had kept him under as best as he could. (whenever I read Chi's alpha/alpha fics, I find myself internally screaming "CHI!!!" god, do they Get It, and I really hope they continue this one!)

Amor Victorious, by HappyPrincess/ @pattern-pals. Louis finds himself following Harry on a journey through Italy, complete with long train rides, greasy food, naked Christs, and too many lingering touches. They're definitely not like other tourists and he definitely doesn't have a crush on his best friend who happens to be an alpha, too. (this one came out during Thanksgiving week, so I held it to savor, and BOY, DID I SAVOR, it's so incredible, the gorgeous writing, the visceral, indescribable feeling of reading it, sighhhhhhh)

do you know me by heart, by HappyPrincess/ @pattern-pals. Harry comes back wearing alphas' scents, a pleased smile and a lace dress. Somehow, Louis still ends up making him come until he cries. (for me personally, 2019 was the year of Nina: getting to know them, catching up on all their writing, falling in love with the way they can kill us all with beautiful angst and the hint and hope of redemption...here's a tissue, you'll need it!!)

the way that you're thrilling me, by @hereforlou. Alphas were smelly and cocky and mostly arseholes, in Harry’s experience. Or at least they were at school. He didn’t understand how his friends—lovely, soft-skinned, sweet-smelling omegas—could actually want to touch them, or be touched by them. (this is just one of the many, MANY faves I had from the gaybo ficfest, A+ all around)

Constant Debauchery, by Blake/ @newleafover. Harry is an alpha who loves getting his mouth knotted by other alphas. Louis is happy to serve. Fun smut! But also angst and sexual awakenings. (Blake knows how to sum up their writing, lol, but YEAH, me as at least one of the comments both public and private saying they'd want to read 100k more of this)

how many nights did I crash against the waves, by Blake/ @newleafover Louis is going into heat and Harry thinks it's hot. (the SKILL of writing something that's 1.7k, yet builds a complete--and v. v. hot--world)

7 fics with Harry and someone else

(I still have a few I need to read in this category--I'm getting there! But these are some from my fave authors that really had me pondering some walls [heh])

I Want Your Belly, by @glasscushion. Harry wants Adam to knock him up. Inspired by on-stage thirst, the Instagram Stories Shirt, Watermelon Sugar, and Harry’s persistent baby fever. (Adam/Harry, mpreg kink of the finest order!!)

Rachel, Nevada, by @vondrostes. Harry has a close sexual encounter of the fourth kind. (Jeff/Harry, Rachel/Harry, and I honestly can't even BEGIN to describe this, holy WOW)

Sea Salt, by @glasscushion. Nick's drunk, and he can't avoid his feelings forever. Set in 2013 and 2019. (Nick/Harry, rip gryles...the grylers I know had an absolute field day in terms of angst, damn!)

all my lies are safe beside you now, by HappyPrincess/ @pattern-pals. They both know what it was like to love Louis Tomlinson fiercely, irrevocably, ghosts of it on their skin, even if the traces were etched in vastly different ways. (Zayn/Harry, and FOR REAL, this is a huge ouch)

call me anything you like, but my name is, by @wishforwishes. Some conversations are better left forgotten, some conversations are worth remembering, and some conversations you never get the chance to have. Featuring three mentors, two tea parties, one and a half recording studios, and a reference to Archie comics. (Harry/CHASM, essentially; LISTEN, I am obsessed with this fic, you don't need to read part one to really Get It, but the bits with Zayn, and James/Ben, and all the parts with Harry working through gender? SO GODDAMNED REAL)

Come Out and Play, by @dinosaursmate. Harry and Louis discover a new kink in their relationship, and it brings all the boys closer than they could have ever imagined. (ot5 orgy, so not really Harry with anyone so much as everyone with everyone, and let's call this one canon)

Like a Rolling Stone, by @vondrostes. By the end of it, Nick realised his tea had gone cold in his hand. He’d barely taken a single sip in the hour-plus he’d been sat there, unmoving, transfixed by Harry’s songs—haunted by the knowledge of what had inspired them. (Nick/Harry, rip gryles)

8 canon fics

(This was a VERY hard category to narrow down, but yeah, a big push this year from "newer" writers = lots of nuanced fic)

Per Aspera, by @sedfierisentio. Louis’s throat feels tight, his heart like a hammer in his chest. You know my rot, he thinks, and I know yours. I love you still. (these achingly beautiful time stamps are centered around taste, and if this fic has taught me anything, it's that buying an author a coffee has a ripple effect)

A Nullo Amato, by @sedfierisentio. Inspired by Harry carrying books around outside LAX, a canon-compliant, Canon AU fic set between 2014 and 2015; mostly, timestamps roped together by a common theme—literature. (this was removed four years ago and reposted, so maybe it's a cheat??? i don't care, it was brand-new to me and a lot of other people, I'm so glad the author shared it again!)

no love like your love, by @dykes4louis. A collection of tumblr drabbles. (Hima is REALLY burying the lede on this one because each of these is short and SCORCHING, her skill, check out her other works, too!)

Dancing in My Dreams, by @kingsofeverything. Louis doesn't mean to imply that Harry's too old to dance for him, but Harry takes it that way, and sets out to prove him wrong. (this is one that *could* go in the series pile, but I love it as a standalone...feels like canon to me, regardless!)

Sonic Sounds, by @glasscushion. "Harry takes a deep breath, suitably embarrassed, “I’m just really...” and he can’t say the obvious. He can’t just say "really wet." Or Harry loves feeling embarrassed. Louis is happy to help. (I'll never look at those One Direction electric toothbrushes quite the same way again)

Bruised Fruit, by @glasscushion. Louis is obsessed with the way Harry smells in the heat of LA. (hey, you know what, me, too, bitch, you ain't special...the way this fic SMELLS, my god, I"m obsessed)

be my once in a lifetime, by HappyPrincess/ @pattern-pals. Just like there are only four other people who will ever understand what it’s like growing up in One Direction, there’s only one other person who knows what it’s like to find your soulmate just before you’re thrown into the spotlight and forced to acknowledge that the both of you have too many flaws and vices to make it through fame together. Or: It's all about having sex and being sad. And drunk. (can u believe Nina wrote this before Fine Line???)

in this dress, by cabinbythesea. Louis is so lost in his eyes and his words he feels if a step above heaven exists, it has to be Harry. Loosely inspired by Harry’s dress from the director’s cut of Lights Up. (I sure hope we see even more fic inspired by every bit of this album/every video it produces)

9 fics by Phoenix/ @alienfuckeronmain

(This fandom doesn't deserve her, and I hope everyone's reading her other works because they're all so amazing, she's such an incredibly gifted writer, my fave of faves, my life is so much brighter with her in it...I could rec her all goddamned day, and I do slash will!!! Here are nine she cranked out this year, each one a gem in its own way)

Silver White Winters. In which Louis catches a cloud and pins it down, aka, a Sound of Music AU (the shittiness in the comments underlines why we can't have nice things, but jesus CHRIST, this is so pure and good, and she cranked it out in, like, two hours)

I don't do that dance. Harry is easily the worst ballet dancer in her whole Intro to Ballet class. Except maybe Taylor Swift. (I adore how Phoenix writes girl Harry, but the way she writes Taylor? Unparalleled...nails her perfectly!)

magic, madness, heaven, sin, by @kerasines. It’s the flashing lights painting colors on her eyelids, it’s the drumming bass competing with her heartbeat. It’s the manic energy rippling through the crowd in waves, the deafening, frenzied passion filling the stadium that remind Eleanor that she actually used to like going to concerts. (technically, this one is FOR Phoenix, from Kim, but it takes a pairing that Phoenix is making her very own, so I'm counting it, lol)

Snakes and Stones. If you call a girl a snake enough, sometimes she becomes one. Her legs lengthen and fuse, her pupils shrink to slits. She gets colder and colder, until she has to spread herself on the warm cement beside the pool, soaking in heat, sipping gin and tonics to warm her blood so she does not turn to ice and shatter to bits. (god, I'm blanking on this ship name, but El/Taylor is such an inspired pairing, and I hope that P's drabbles make it over to ao3 in full)

Something good (will come from here). Taylor does not answer, because she is too busy licking her lips and pitching forward, as if Eleanor is the sky, or the sea. (you can practically SMELL this fic, El/Taylor drabble)

I Must Confess (I Still Believe). Harry is the new girl at an all girl Catholic Girl's School, and Louis is the unattainable, dashing senior who changes her forever. (this fic breaks my heart, the entire experience of its production and aftermath will forever be bittersweet, a gorgeous swansong)

Only One at the Finish Line. “I want to be another alpha’s omega,” is what he says, and it comes out like something reckless, something wild. Like he doesn't care anymore if Louis hates him or not, if Louis understands, he just needs to speak his truth aloud to darkness, to the slender pines that surround them like a jury panel. (Phoenix was the gaybo mod, and this was her contribution, and it is PERFECTION PERSONIFIED, fest goals)

The Pink Ghost of Princess Park. The thought of the vibrator does not go away. It’s sitting there collecting dust all through January, and every time Harry and Louis have to leave town for a press event or a show or to record or what have you, they come back home, and it’s still there, the Pink Ghost of Princess Park, the fucking glittery haunting that Harry cannot stop thinking of Louis stuffing up his arse. (a very good year in general for Princess Park clapbacks)

Life Saver. Louis is a sweetheart punk with a theater background and a heart of gold, Harry is an inexperienced nerd who plays by the rules. Classmates, lab partners, and eventually friends, what happens when Louis knows he’s in love, but doesn’t know how tell Harry? (this one came out a year ago tomorrow, and it had a tough birthing process, but it's so good, so hot, my love for virgin Harry gettin’ it on knows no bounds)

10 AU fics

(yes, yes, this could be LOADS longer, but I’m sticking to my theme!)

breathless for an eternity, by cabinbythesea. Harry conquers double duty on SNL and Louis wishes he was Nick Jonas. (dangggg, this came out too late for me to rec it along with my other snl-related fic, but it joins that lofty canon!)

Pretty Baby, by @littlelouishiccups. Louis helps Harry unwind after a busy week. (I was NOT expecting a new chapter in the iconic sugar baby Harry series, but HERE WE ARE)

into another (another) serotonin overflow, by @mercutionotromeo. Sweet first time sex wherein Harry's adorably awkward, Louis is achingly cool, and Harry rides Louis wearing his jersey. (this is one of my all-time fave fics, and I'm not sure what changed in it to get it reposted, but yeah, HERE FOR IT, THANK YOU!!!)

'Sup, by @mediawhorefics. All Louis wants is to finish the play he’s been commissioned to write, but one of the regulars at his local coffee shop keeps distracting him. ft. older larry, pushy gemma, harry being a disaster gay and silver fox louis. (this is so short but so tantalizing, GOD, DO I WANT MORE OF THIS UNIVERSE)

Tan Lines and Some Memories, by twoshipstiedup. Harry Styles is the indie movie darling he’d been avoiding ever since Louis saw his movie at Cannes and harbored an unreasonable grudge against him. A unicorn t-shirt finally brings them together in person. (I honestly thought we'd get more unicorn shirt fic, but this is a wonderful standard-bearer, banter city)

Bitter Tangerine, by purpledaisy/ @daisyharry. Nine months after they break up, a twist of fate brings Harry and Louis back together at Christmas. (so much ouch in this, but wow, do you feel like you're reading fully realized, realistic, growing characters)

We're Driving in Your Fast Car, by @sadaveniren. Harry felt himself light up - both with excitement and the thrill of getting what he wanted. “Really?” “Of course, anything for you." aka Louis and Harry are car thieves about to pull off a million dollar job. (another one I'd love to read more of...how did they get here, where are they going, etc.)

remember you well, by @fondleeds. Harry’s a criminal, Louis’ a cop, and they’re stranded overnight at the Motel 6. (what's with me and my love of heist/caper fics this year?)

Tied Down, by HamPalpert/ @ham-palpert. The most interesting case in Liam and Niall's careers falls directly into their laps, courtesy of an epic fuck-up of one Harry Styles, partner to the almost-infamous drug dealer Louis Tomlinson. The investigation yields an unexpected yet satisfactory outcome for Liam and Niall. For Harry and Louis, however, things are far more complicated. (SEE ABOVE, JESUS, I THINK ABOUT THIS FIC...ALL...THE.......TIME)

Harry Styles Cooks..., by sunsetmog. Louis owns all of Harry Styles’ cookbooks, and he never intends to cook a single thing out of any of them. (yeah, it's a wip, yeah, I flatline every time it updates, what of it, I'm living my best life vicariously through it!!)

#fic rec #faves of 2019 #i have so many more i love that i read #but this is a theme lmaooooo #hope that one anon loves it!

103 notes · View notes